Category: Uncategorized

This is a major update. Ancestry now has 2,963,607 early East Sussex BMBs, part indexed parish registers with linked images, part parish register transcriptions.
When last listed on the blog, in May, there were only 398,334 records.
There’s no detail on what’s been added.

Posted by  Claire Santry, Irish Genealogy News , the 1926 Census of Ireland will be released online and free in April 2026. The project will be carried out by the National Archives of Ireland.

https://www.irishgenealogynews.com/2022/11/release-date-for-1926-census-of-ireland.html

Hi LAC, how about some news on the availability of the  1931 census of Canada after it’s released to you next summer?

Do you know the significance of 3.14159265358…, 29.92, and 9.81? 

What about 929?

If you wander the shelves at your local library looking for genealogy books, you find them under the Dewey Decimal Classification 929.

This matrix, see a full-size version at Library Thing, shows how 929, Genealogy and Heraldry, fits within 92, biography, genealogy and insignia, that within 9, history and geography.

The row below shows the sub-categories of 929 indicated by the number after the decimal. Below are the number of entries in that category saved by Library Thing users. Click on any one of them at Library Thing and scroll down to see selected works in the category. You can also click to see further sub-classifications. Go far enough and you’ll find 929.1072041 includes

Tracing Your Irish History on the Internet by Chris Paton
Researching Scots-Irish Ancestors: The Essential Genealogical Guide to Early Modern Ulster, 1600-1800 by William Roulston
Scottish Genealogy by Bruce Durie
Who Do You Think You Are? Encyclopedia of Genealogy by Nick Barratt.

What about those other numbers?

You probably recognized 3.141… I could go on …as the value of pi, the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle.

A pilot would recognize 29.92 as the altimeter setting used at or above 18,000 feet. It’s the average air pressure, at sea level, the height of a barometer column of mercury in inches.

If you literally fell off your chair puzzling over these, you’d fall under gravity at an acceleration of 9.81 metres per second squared. Fortunately not too far!

Too easy? What about 1.618033988749?

Here’s a bit of fun from MyHeritage for when you get tired of wrestling with the strictures of the Genealogical Proof Standard!

“Using advanced technology, AI Time Machine™ creates stunning images of a person in different time periods throughout history. With the AI Time Machine™, you can see yourself as an Egyptian pharaoh, a medieval knight or a Viking, a 19th-century lord or lady, and much more, in just a few clicks! Watch this video to see how it works – do you recognize the person used for the video :-).

 

 

Two feature articles prompted by the demise of the late Queen lead off the feature articles in the new Canada’s History issue. Carolyn Haris reviews Elizabeth’s 70-year reign as Queen of Canada, while Christopher Moore rehashes the challenges surrounding any change from the monarchical system.

Michael Dupuis recounts the saga of devastation and rebuilding after the Halifax explosion of 6 December 1917 when a model district named Hydrostone was constructed.

Amongst the regular departments is a column by Paul Jones on the good, bad and ridiculous of genealogy. Can you guess at the identity of any of those mentioned?

There’s also an extended books section, beyond the usual review of those newly published, including two on First World War nurses, plus a book and gift guide in time for the holiday season.

 

This collection of 83,318 transcript records contains burials from cemeteries in Stirling and Perthshire, Scotland. 

Typically included are name, death date, age at death (sometimes birth year), burial date, cemetery, and coordinates of the grave.

About 80% of the burial are in Stirlingshire, the most frequently mentioned locations being Bannockburn, Ballengeich Cemetery, Stirling, and Logie.

In Perthshire, Dunblane, Callander and Kilmadoc are the most frequently mentioned.

Dr Sarah Lockyer
@S_Lockyer
I’d like to sincerely thank a past supervisor & manager who were terrible. It is incredible what I learned from them regarding what not to do.

I now find myself supervising more people & as long as I do the exact opposite of those 2 atrocious examples, I’ll do a good job.

GOOD LUCK!

Choose from selected free online events in the next five days. All times are ET except as noted. Those in red are Canadian, bolded if local to Ottawa or recommended. Assume registration in advance is required; check so you’re not disappointed. Many additional events are listed at https://conferencekeeper.org/virtual

TUESDAY 15 NOVEMBER

2 pm: OGS Ottawa Branch Virtual Genealogy Drop-in.
https://meet.google.com/nvz-kftj-dax

2 pm: Getting Started in Genealogy, Ottawa Public Library, Greenboro branch  https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/event/getting-started-genealogy

2:30 pm: Reaching Local Youth by Raising the Dead, by Mona Vance-Ali for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7465886

8 PM: Their Mark Here: Signatures and Marks as Identifying Tools, by Nicole Gilkison LaRue for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/their-mark-here-signatures-and-marks-as-identifying-tools/

WEDNESDAY 16 NOVEMBER

2 pm: Hunting For Henry: A Case Study Using Collaterals, by Teresa Steinkamp McMillin for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/hunting-for-henry-a-case-study-using-collaterals/

2 pm: The Anthropocene: Inside the Quest for the Human Epoch at Crawford Lake, Ontario, by Tim Patterson for Carleton University Science Café.
https://science.carleton.ca/cu-events/science-cafe-the-anthropocene-inside-the-quest-for-the-human-epoch-at-crawford-lake-ontario/

THURSDAY 17 NOVEMBER

6:30 pm: Navigating the (US) Records from The War of 1812, by Brian Rhinehart for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.
https://acpl.libnet.info/event/7465815

FRIDAY 18 NOVEMBER

2 pm: Newspapers in Mexico, by Lisa Medina for Legacy Family Tree Webinars.
https://familytreewebinars.com/webinar/newspapers-in-mexico/

7 pm: Canadian Nurses in the First World War, by Ann McKibbon for Niagara Peninsula Branch OGS.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMpdOysrjsuHdLXq-u-NMpdXoFVZFbG3ilr

SATURDAY 19 NOVEMBER

10 am: Meningful Gift Giving, by Christine Woodcock for Kingston Branch OGS.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZItdOCrrz4pGNDdDZjAfyaKXQHblgKen9wg

1 pm: I Found Them… They’re Mine (Ottawa), by Gordon McBean for Ottawa Branch OGS
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYlcO2grTMsGdM_wLDyCwQDavER-89ZuGDL

1 pm:  Great Moments, by Rick Hill: The Suspicious Death of Edward Navin; Wayne Wickson: Miracle Process for Cleaning Gravestones – Safely; Jane Simpson: “Just A Mere” – Just a House! for Qunite Branch  OGS.
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqdeihqzwoGNf85h53aX-AMvvlLJxE-kz5

for Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center.

The website Researching the Lives and Records of WW2 Soldiers, by Robert Clark, includes a table of number blocks assigned to each corps or regiment of the WW2 British Army. This may be helpful if you have a number but don’t know the unit.

The numbers were allocated on joining, Beware, the soldier may have only been with that corps or regiment for a short time before transfer. The number stayed with them.

The Royal Artillery was assigned over one million numbers, just 599 to the Band of the Royal Military College.

Sub-blocks may have been allocated to various enlistment centres.

Find the table at http://www.researchingww2.co.uk/army-numbers-british-army-ww2/.

Canadian Army
WW2 Canadian Regimental Numbers had blocks with a letter prefix referring to the military district. For instance, the prefix B, for Trooper Anthony Dashney, Service Number: B/83334, who served with the  Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, indicates MD2 (Central Ontario including Toronto and northward). See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/procedures/regimentalnumber.htm/.

Stay tuned for more detail on allocation of sub-blocks of numbers for the WW2 Canadian Army.

Wanting to learn about what your grandparent or ancestor did during wartime? Which regiment they joined? What their job was? Where they served? What they experienced?

On Tuesday, 15 November at 1 p.m. (EST) – the Canadian War Museum invites you to a Zoom session to explain the research methods, tools and resources used by the Canadian War Museum’s Military History Research Centre. Learn more about family members by exploring their military service.

Register here.

On Wednesday, 16 November at 1 p.m. there’s a similar session in French.

Miscellaneous items I found of interest during the week.

A journey through the Book of Kells & Old Trinity College Dublin Library

Fine-scale cultural variation reinforces genetic structure in England

Family history is not sufficient for assessing inherited disease risk

Six Canadian battles shaped by weather and climate

Margaret Atwood: Russia’s propaganda narratives don’t stand up

Thanks to this week’s contributors: Ann Burns, Anonymous, Barbara Di Mambro,  Brenda Turner, Bruce Murduck, Ellie Ayton, Gail B., Kathie Cornes, Maria Laty, Michael Penzer, Sheila Faure, Teresa, Unknown,

 

Here are some of the main contents of the December issue, released on 11 November.

FAMILY HISTORY NEWS
Includes news of the passing of Guy Etchells. Without his dogged pursuit of the release of the 1939 Register of England and Wales, we may well still not have access. R. I. P.

AWAITING THE 1921 SCOTTISH CENSUS
Genealogist Chris Paton anticipates the release of the 1921 Census for Scotland and recommends some records to research the period while we wait.

DEAR PAUL
Paul Chiddicks continues examination of errors and oddities from readers and takes a trip down memory lane on favourte chidhood toys and games.

PHOTOGENEALOGY: STEP 5
Aon Larknam advises us on the final step on the photogeneaiogy project — securing your legacy.

TWIGLETS
Gill Shaw gives a salutary, and intriguing reminder that two records are always better than … although they may not provide the clarity sought.

WW2 MILITARY CASE STUDY
Graham Caldwell provides Miltary Competition winner
Lindsay Seels wih a report about her grandfather.

INTERWAR HOBBIES
Jayne Shrimpton brings to life popular culture and our ancestors’ pastimes of the 1920s & 30s.

WHAT’S INSIDE THE PARLIAMENTARY ARCHIVES?
Senior Outreach Archivist Penny McMahon shows us around.

CONSIDERING THE USEFULNESS OF NAME LISTS
Family Tree Academy’s David Annal evaluates their uses & limitations.

BOOKS & CO
Helen Tovey & Rachel Bellerby review a selection of new history-related tities.

THE SINKING OF THE ‘ALERT PACKET’
Family historian Melanie Winterbotham stumbled on the story of the sinking of the Alert Packet when tracing the life and death of her 3x great-grandfather.

GENEALOGY GADGETS
Discover the tools that fellow family historians are putting to use in their search, for fun and efficiency. One mentioned is zoompast.com (or .org) which looks interesting and I hope to examine in a coming post.

NEW ANCESTRYDNA TOOL
Discover the revolutionary new beta tool from AncestryDNA being rolled out,

DNA WORKSHOP
Karen Evans investigates a case study to help a reader find her grandfather.

YOUR QUESTIONS
Our experts share their insights on reader research problems.

PHOTO CORNER
Jayne Shrimpton helps a reader puzzle out a photo and sets a puzzle of her own.

DIARY DATES
Online, in person, or hybrid – events to enjoy this November.

THOUGHTS ON – WARTIME MEMORIES
Diane Lindsay reflects on how the slightest thing can cause the memories to come flooding back |